Children of the Elder Dragons
by RhinTheHunter
Summary: Elder Dragons, the living natural disasters that walk these lands have always been shrouded in legend and mystery but why? What secrets do they hide and what power do they truly yield? Follow the brave and powerful children of the Elder Dragons and uncover mystery, monsters and potential disaster for all of the Monster Hunting world. MH4U/GenU/World
1. Prologue

The Children of the Elder Dragons~Prologue

The Ancient Civilisation, once powerful and technologically advanced, now nothing but ruins and remnants of an age past. Their ancient towers dot the lands, but what secrets do they hold? The Guild seeks the technology within, of new weapons and powerful armours, but far more lies within the walls of those towers however- the history and legends the Ancient Civilisation recorded.

One such legend tells how the Old Wyverian gods created the world- a world they wished to see either flourish or fail without the influence of their divine whims- a world completely and utterly free to advance, be diverse, and become more than what it was simply created to be, or to collapse in on itself.

One of the old gods, however, Erebus- god of night, and order sought to control the world and use the power embedded within it to bring his brethren to heel. The gods found out Erebus' plan and sought to punish him. It is said that gods cannot be slain so they sealed him away on a continent uninhabited by man and only home to a few monsters. A powerful veil would separate Erebus from this world, keeping him at bay.

Erebus, however, would not be still and simply accept his fate, so he sought to escape- but how? The veil prevented Erebus from using his power, so he began to construct a form through which he could channel his power and break through the veil. He succeeded, a creature with large black wings that eclipse the sun, fiery breath that could burn kingdoms to the ground, and a screeching roar that could be heard for miles. As this draconic form lay waist to the edge of the veil. As Black Flames poured from its mouth seeking to destroy the veil, the body and the power invested in it passed through, but the veil kept Erebus' mind at bay.

Erebus raged and cursed his brethren, while the large black dragons body lay free of his control, outside the veil. The Dragon lay there for many days while its adolescent mind fought to control the remnants of Erebus' power, and when it did, it began to rise. The Black Dragon became aware of a few things as it came to: the large-no-the enormous crystals that protruded from the ground, and a rumbling sound that seemed to emanate from above the ceiling of the crystalline cave-from the sky. Most alarming however, was the tugging sensation the Dragon felt in its chest that was drawing him towards the back of the cave where a dull, throbbing glow seemed to come from the intersecting crystals. It became more than a tugging sensation and felt like its very life was being drawn from its body, so the Black Dragon spread its wings and began to flee that terrifying place. Going forward, that was the only time this Great Black Dragon would ever feel fear.

Erebus had failed but he had nothing else to do but try again and so he continued to do so, crafting new forms. From the greatest serpentine creature of all with a roar so deep it could shake the foundations of a mountain to the regal quadrupedal Dragon who manipulates fire as easily as the wind moves the leaves. He continued to hone his craft- pushing legendary beasts through the veil more ancient and powerful than any of the monsters that walk the earth naturally. Unnatural and as unkillable as a god.

These disasters, these cataclysms, these living forces of nature are the Elder Dragons.

The Guild has often speculated as to the actual intelligence of the Elder Dragons, for it is well known among the high-ranking guild members that the Elder Dragons were sentient enough to wage war against the Ancient Civilisation rather than fight among themselves as so many other monsters do. Despite this knowledge its still unclear the extent of their sentience. The Elder Dragons that inhabit the Frontier Lands are far more powerful and aggressive than their counterparts that inhabit the lands of Minegarde and the kingdom of Dondruma. What the Guild does not have the answers to is why do Elder Dragons behave in the mysterious ways that they do? Why not fight one another more often outside of simple territorial disputes? Why inhabit the towers and other ancient structures strewn across the land? With the Guilds discovery of the New World, a new question comes with it- Why do the Elder Dragons travel to this New World to die, and what draws them there? Perhaps you know, but there's more to it than what meets the eye.

Well, my dear hunters, these are things you should know before we begin to follow along with our hero's tale, and I – NO! Hands down yer young whippersnapper! I'll only explain a little, the rest you must figure out.

Alright young'uns, yer see, when the Elder Dragons pass through the veil, they're aware of what they are- a fallen gods vessel of destruction that doesn't fit into the natural order of things. Most of them, particularly the more powerful and sentient ones are aware of the threat that Erebus poses to the whole world- but how do they fight and defend against something that can suck their life and power right out of them?

Well, firstly, you don't- but you do. I'll explain in a moment yung'uns.

Well, you familiar with the expression 'fight fire with fire?'- Yep! That's how

Taking a page from Erebus' book the Elder Dragon's would each find a vessel and imbue it with their power, so their vessel can stand guard against Erebus should be break through. The Elder Dragons, however, cannot create vessels and other monsters no matter how powerful are simply not intelligent enough. So, who is?

Humans of course! The most numerous, dangerous and fast-growing population in the world. Not the Ancient Civilisation however, they fought a long and bloody war against one another, so-no, just regular humans with untapped potential.

I know what you're thinking- they kidnap!? Yup, one kid for the safety of the world. They take an infant and raise it as they would one of their own.

I know what you're thinking again- that's a lot of people and they don't even know if Erebus will break through- correct, sharp one aint'cha.

Let's go back to the guild for a second- when they are faced with a dangerous threat, they don't just send in some High Ranker with his buddies to deal with the problem do they? No- they send their best G-Rank hunters, la crème de la crème to face the situation.

Now, pray tell, how do you think the Guild knows who their G-Rank Champions are? Well, only after years of training, hunting, slaying and ranking up- so that's what the Elder Dragons do…to an extent. The Eldest of their respective kinds (often the first one that ever passed through the veil) take and child and raise it- then once every 50 years they hold a tournament.

This legendary tournament is held at the largest of the Ancient Towers- a place heavily inhabited with Elder Dragons, so much so that the guild doesn't come within a hundred miles of it. This tournament determines the real strongest 'Children of the Elder Dragons' & they are sent to guard the veil.

For they can stand where their Elder parents cannot

They can use the power that would limit their parents

They are the heroes- so shall we begin now?

Oh- What?! You Whippersnappers are inquisitive ey- well, what do you want to know?

'What about the rest of the Elder Dragon Children that don't win the tournament?' – Wait and see.

'What was the reason the Elder Dragons fought the Ancient Civilisation?' – Wait and see

'What about the towers, why do they live and guard there?' – Wait and see.

'What about- waaait, the answer is gonna be "wait and see" isn't it'?

Ah! Finally, one of you yung'uns starting to catch on- so, the rest of you, just wait and see- let's begin, finally.

 **Authors Notes:** _PLEASE REVIEEEEW!_

 _Yay! I finally did it. Phew, I've been wanting to write a Monster Hunter fanfiction for yeeeeears now and the first step has been taken! Can I get a 'WHOOP WHOOP'_

 _For real though I've been playing Monster Hunter for 11 years now and am very familiar with the lore of the games right from the 1_ _st_ _generation (Monster Hunter Freedom) All the way to the Fifth Generation (Generations Ultimate is cool and all, but MH4Ultimate will always be the best of the handheld console games- fight me ) I've played World and the whole idea of Xeno'Jiiva helped me make a far more believable backstory and premise for this whole story. Now, granted I can't know everything- I may check the reddit forums and read the wikia pages more than I study, but I'm definitely GONNA miss some vital piece of lore that could ruin the continuity- SO PLEASE REVIEW – and tell me I stuffed up (but nicely) and also just tell me what you think of the writing and help me make this story truly great. So, thank you so much to anyone and everyone who reads this story- I hope you stick with me. I'm super passionate about these games and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it!_

 _Stay safe and Happy Hunting!_

 **What I'm Reading:** James Barclay~ Elfsorrow (So damn good!)

 **What I'm Playing:** Dragon Age: Inquisition (for the 5th time-still good) & MH World Baby!

 **What I'm Listening To:** Kamikaze~ Eminem & my own playlists on Spotify (full of classic bangers if you ask me :))


	2. Undiscovered

Undiscovered

PRONOUNCIATION GUIDE **:**

Rhïn- R-IN

Leondas: LEE- ON- DASS

Paisley: PAY-Z-LEE

Horuku: HO-ROO-KOO

DURAMBOROS: DOO- RAM- BORE- OSS

Rhïn strode toward the docking bay, breathing in the exotic air of The Great Forest once more before setting off through the open-air market that grew thick with people. The smells and variety of colour always lifted Rhïn's spirits, and the hustle and bustle of the new town itself was perfect for Rhïn to pass through regularly without much notice. The stalls and products on display varied greatly, with large crystals from the forest and hills near Kokoto village at one stall, to 'high end' hunting accessories like flashbombs that could actually blind smaller monster in an area to a new slime coating that apparently 'would send the monster to the four corners of the hunting ground' with its explosion- according to the label. Rhïn smiled at the ridiculous marketing ploys some vendors used but always found it more amusing how it worked.

Rhïn had returned from a hunt with a young, but tremendously large Duramboros Bull amid mating season, but he had removed his armor before entering the market and had sent it to the airship that awaited him from the hunter's outpost at the entrance of this new village- Vesta he had hard it was called. None of the cute guild clerks had asked for ID or a hunter's license when he strode in from the Great Forest wearing his legendary armor. Besides, even if they had, he had a 'real one' in his hunting pouch. He had still never met the 'higher up' that provided Rhïn and others like him with the legal means to travel through Guilds, cities and hunting grounds without hassle, but he intended to thank him if he ever got the chance.

As he continued to walk among the stalls, Rhïn noticed many hunters browsing the wares; he also noticed the gasps, stares and fan girl attacks, many of the hunters received. He was grateful he had been able to deliver his armor, weapons and the Duramboros hump meat chunks ahead of him to his transportation, for secrecy was his greatest tool in the open world and he cringed at the thought of the attention he knew he would receive if he strode through the market in an armor from a monster almost 10*'s higher (according to the guilds G-Rank threat scaling system) than any other hunters armor there. Even though Rhïn's tall, strong frame would attract the occasional eye, the eyes never lingered, therefore the whispers never started, and the rumors never began.

As Rhïn approached the end of the market area he noticed a stall selling unusual items~ Wyvern gems, and one caught his attention: the big, multifaceted, deep purple stone with a label in front that said: Lrg Elder Dragon Gem-180000z

Rhïn had held a Dragon Gem before and he knew that this was fake-perhaps amethyst? He wasn't sure, but he was going to find out, for if it was fake then some naïve Hunter with a big saving may think he's just found a high-end gem for his armor crafting, rush to the smith and end up with armor that would be relying on a weak cornerstone. This may not affect him at all, but Rhïn thought he would deal with the situation none the less. With that, he walked toward the vendor.

A short man sitting on a stool with smooth brown skin and a large bald head was conversing with a potential customer.

"May I" Rhïn interrupted, gesturing towards the gems.

"Of course, young man, gaze upon my lustrous wares of rarity and I will be with you briefly"

The vendor turned his attention back to the cloaked woman standing in front of him and Rhïn began to slide his fingers over the fine stones and gems. To his surprise, a few Bird Wyvern Gems, were real, but all the Flying Wyvern and Elder Dragon stuff was fake, he was sure of it. As he neared the center of the table that was covered in yellow and green tablecloths where the prized 'gem' lay, Rhïn saw that it wasn't a bad fake : an uneven oval structure, it's height about a foot long and about 8 or 9 inches in diameter. Rhïn reached out and grabbed it with both hands and tossed it up into the air the way one would to scare or entertain a child. He caught it.

The vendors expression drained, yet he maintained an overtly friendly demeanor as he spoke to Rhïn:

"Please, place that back in the table young sir, and I assure you I will join you in a moment"

"Oh, I will" replied Rhïn "but you have to watch how the sun shines through the facets, it's stunning"

With that, Rhïn threw it up once more.

"No!" Screamed the vendor.

The large gem flew twice as high this time, however Rhïn didn't catch it this time and it slipped through Rhïn's fingers as it came down. A loud, shrill **_crack_** was heard and customers from nearby stalls turned to see what had happened.

The jewel lay on the ground, broken into three, jagged and unequal parts, with purple dust and shards mixing in with the dust on the floor.

"You're selling an Elder Dragon Gem…that can break?"

The vendor eyed Rhïn with a vicious snarl on his face which quickly changed to a fearful gaze as he saw the crowd gathering around his stall. One member of the amassing crowd, a hunter dressed in bone armor stepped forward, grabbed another of the gems and there it to the ground-it shattered as well.

After that the crowd went manic and started destroying all the wares the vendor had in display, and when they realized that some were real, they stole them. Rhïn turned and continued his walk towards the dicks where a ship headed for Cathar was waiting for Rhïn's arrival.

"You're late" said Paisley, captain of the ship said, "you told me 'just after sunrise' and now it's mid-morning"

Rhïn looked at paisley and smiled, she was someone who had known him longer than any other normal person alive had. Her extremely long blonde hair went to her waist and her light brown eyes always seemed to catch the light.

"Oh, is that the time? Do forgive me captain, the morning market is so exciting" chuckled Rhïn

"I have places to be you know, shipments to deliver"

"Sure, you do" Rhïn replied with a smirk, "has my stuff arrived?"

"Yeah, it's in your room, and the meat is sealed in our freeze vault below deck"

"Mm, thank you- I'll see you on deck captain"

Paisley smiled as he walked past her. Rhïn greeted the crew as he walked along the deck for he knew them well enough.

"Morning Jay" one would say

"How d'ya fare these days master Jay?" another would ask

'Jay' was what the crew knew Rhïn as. Paisley was the only public member of the world who knew Rhïn's real name and had even a hint that he was more than just a 'good hunter' as he had once said he was.

Rhïn had bought a permanent spot aboard the airship, _The Mountains Wind_ almost five years ago. It was a simple room that wasn't used for anything else other than his quarters, even if he hadn't been aboard for months. He had payed for the installment of the room and a monthly rent, which was a ridiculously high amount of zenni by any standard but was something he had insisted upon paying.

Rhïn opened the door to his cabin, thankful that Paisley had lit one of the large scented candles in the room to get rid of the stale wood smell in anticipation of his arrival. As Rhïn sat down ion his short bed he glanced around the room-to the left of the door, in the corner was a crate that contained his armor, weapons and hunting bag that could fit the armor and weapons, but for transport purposes the crate was used. The wooden panels and on the floor were darker than the panels used for the walls and ceilings. Finally, a large window opened onto a large desk bolted to the wall beneath the window. Stacks of paper, inkwells and pens were sealed in the top drawer of the desk. Rhïn placed a hand on one of the large tomes that were stacked beside his bed and considered re-reading it, but as he sat there the events of the past weeks traveling and hunting caught up to him and he realized how tired he really was. So, he lay down on the bed and though it took a moment, sleep eventually took him.

Rhïn woke to what he could only assume was the midday sun streaming through the window. _Surely,_ _I haven't just taken a small nap_ he thought, and no matter how long he lay there to try and fall asleep again he just couldn't- he was awake and there was no changing that. Eventually he made his way onto the deck before locating Paisley standing at the helm, steering the ship.

"We've come a long way in just a few hours eye, I don't even see land"

Paisley laughed out loud for a few seconds. "We departed yesterday Rhïn, you must've fallen asleep yesterday-what were you doing?"

"A lot of walking, running, climbing, carving. You know, Hunter stuff"

"MH, what about sleeping, did you sleep?"

"Yes yes, obviously, twice actually"

"That's funny" said paisley sarcastically, "no really, how much did you sleep"

"I told you, twice"

"In a week, you slept…never mind… So, we'll arrive at Cathar's port just before sunrise-are you still going to 'exit' the way you normally do?"

"Ah, yeah, that'd be great thanks, as long as we're within a mile or two of the Island, that's all I need."

"Alright", she sighed, "I'll let you know when we're a few miles out so you're ready in time"

"Thank you"

"No thanks needed Rhïn-never from you"

"Still… I'll wander around and help where I can, see you later"

The day came and went swiftly for Rhïn as he always enjoyed the view from an airship and helping the crew gave him something to do to keep his mind from wandering, leading to eventual boredom. Soon, evening came, then midnight passed, and the early hours of the dawn had begun. Rhïn knew it was time to go and after retrieving his hunters' bag, he packed his armor inside it. He also packed a sealed cold-container that held the Duramboros Hump meat he had carved and placed it within the bag- he knew the container would keep it cold and fresh for a few hours. While packing his belongings Rhïn felt grateful for how his armor was crafted: with unique joints, hinges and detachable parts that allowed it to be stored in a compact space on his back, rather than transported in a human-sized container. The joints also allowed for the armor to be assembled and worn in a way that would allow more plating to be attached,or less, if necessary- this allowed Rhïn to hunt different monsters with varying levels of movement and protection without ever having to wear an entirely new armor set- he simply dressed himself appropriately.

Rhïn made his way onto the deck of the ship and immediately became aware of how clear the sky around them was. There were a few wispy clouds beneath the airship, but nothing above them to obscure the celestial expanse, and it was breathtaking. At the helm of the ship stood Paisleys first mate, Leondas, who nodded at him as he walked across the deck and Rhïn raised his hand in a gesture of goodbye. Rhïn spotted Paisley on the bow deck at the front of the ship, leaning on the railing.

"Permission to join you, Captain"

"Granted" Paisley said without taking her eyes of the black sea that reflected the stars.

Rhïn placed his bag down by his feet as he leaned against the railing beside Paisley. They enjoyed the silence for a few moments.

"Rhïn", Paisley said, breaking the silence. It was the first time she had been able to use his real name during the trip and he felt he knew where the conversation was headed.

"When will you need us again?"

Rhin held her gaze and briefly got lost in how the stars were lustrously reflected in her eyes.

"It might be a while until next time...a lot longer"

"And could we-"

"No, I can't Paisley, I want to, but I can't"

"Why not?"

"You know why"

"No, I don't! You tell me that what you do is dangerous every time and yet that's not an answer-not this time. I KNOW you hunt monsters, but I can live with that. I've seen your armor-"

"Wait, what?"

"I opened the box..."

Rhïn sighed, "and...?" he inquired.

"As a hunter, you don't get armor or weapons of that quality unless you're good enough. So, again, I can live with you hunting, because I know that you're not going to just die, but you won't allow yourself to be with me"

"Paisley, I..." Rhïn thought for a moment, "I can never truly explain, or do as I wish while my task still lies ahead of me, and I don't think that I can ever finish it without dying"

"I don't understand"

"I know, but I can't say anymore, I'm sorry"

"Will you promise me one thing- if you do ever complete your 'task'- find me?"

Rhïn smiled weakly for she knew not what his task entailed, but if he could, he would.

"If I complete my task, we'll see each other again, but I make no promises as to how we will meet, okay?"

Paisley wasn't happy, but at least he had promised. She nodded.

Rhïn knelt and opened his bag to retrieve a wooden box and handed it to her, when she opened it she stood with her mouth open for a moment before shutting the box and putting it back into Rhïn's hands.

"I WON'T accept that"

"Fine, I'll walk over to Leondas before I go and leave it with him- I know he won't refuse any payment"

"Rhïn, no, you pay enough zenni for a second for a second-rate room that would buy you months in the finest Guild Tower rooms and all we do is ferry you across the goddamn ocean whenever you show up!"

"Please, just take it"

"It's probably a few hundred thousand zenni!"

"And you and your crew's discreetness and efficiency over the years has meant more to me than some gold"

"You're a stubborn pain in the ass, but an expensive one"

"Thank you"

Rhïn placed his bag on his back again and clipped two straps around his stomach before climbing up onto the railing.

"Answer one question for me- what's it made of? Your equipment"

"Elder Dragon"

Paisley brow furrowed, and she stared at the floor for a moment.

"I know of Teostra, Kushala, Chameleos, Kirin- you know, the ones considered killable by hunters...the only dragons that I know that are black like your armor and weapons are the ones said to be capable of destroying the world-so...how the bloody hell?!"

Rhïn just smiled, "you said one question"

With that he leaned forward and free fell off the edge of the ship, and despite the wind he heard Paisley call out "Crazy Bastard!" after him.

Rhïn had to remain undiscovered, and everything he represented had to remain a hidden secret forever. No one outside of those his Father had deemed worthy enough to introduce him to knew what Rhïn truly was, and he had to keep it that way, despite how it hurt his heart.

Rhïn continued his controlled descent towards Siki Country, the large crescent shaped island which contained the fast-growing village of Cather which rested on a plateau amidst the Heavens Mount Mountain Range that covered most of the island in large, rocky spires. As he came closer to the island he saw two familiar figures approaching him- two Horuku's- small flying wyverns with powerful wings and legs that resemble a Remobra, but more Rathalos-like in structure than their snake-like cousins. Rhïn had seen many Frontier hunters taming them to help in hunts, from transportation across large areas to even carrying in Barrel bombs during the hunt. Rhïn had also heard of similar creatures found in the new world called wingdrakes, that, though they aren't tamed, are often used by hunters to make a quick getaway.

Rhïn's Horuku's, Halk's to the common hunter, are named Fulgris –a Thunder elemental halk, and Phage- a dragon elemental halk. He had managed to tame two of them over the years opposed to the normal one that hunters manage. He simply had more time to train them than most hunters and was able to spend more time with them, making their bond far stronger than most. Once they were close enough Fulgris began to glide above Rhïns prostrate body and grasped his hunting bag in her powerful talons. Rhïn unclipped and unstrapped the bag and let Fulgris remove it completely. As Fulgris veered off to the right, Phage took her place and remained above Rhïn in their controlled fall towards the country. Now that they were close enough, Rhïn could make out Heavens Mount on the far side of the island, a place plagued by the frenzy virus for the last century or so. Many other dramatic features dotted the rocky environment, but Rhïn was headed straight for the most dangerous place on not just the whole island, but possibly the whole eastern hemisphere of the world.

The halk's gliding descent slowly shifted into a diagonal glide that eventually became a flat-out flight toward their destination. After a few minutes of flying through some low hanging mist, the piercing rock formations they sought came into view- the sunlight streaming through the clouds bathed the area in a heavenly, yet eerie glow. As they approached the spires, Rhïn spotted movement below and motioned with one of the many practiced gestures with his hunting companions, ordering the halk's to land at the base of the nearest mountain to the path below them.

Once they landed, Rhïn donned his armor and weapons as fast as he could. He wore a Black Hide long sleeve and leggings beneath the armor that was both flame-proof and rather flexible. The armor was expertly forged Ash-black plating that lightly covered each part of his body. Each plate was smooth, except for the plates that covered his elbows, knees and shoulders- each of these had multiple spikes of varying lengths on them, with the largest in the middle of the plate. These spikes ranged from one inch up to four for the longest ones- and though they didn't assist in the hunting of monsters, they served to make his silhouette look more unearthly. Hunting boots made of the same Black Hide covered most of his shins, but otherwise his lower legs remained mostly unprotected to allow for faster movements and changes in direction, both of which suited Rhïn's fighting style as opposed to slower movements that supported slow, but devastating weapon combinations. Rhïn's helmet was the most visually terrifying things about his armor: a black face plate, that ended in a jagged chin point, covered the front of the helm, with vision enhancing lenses in the eye sockets which allowed him to see for miles at a time that could be swapped out for red tinted lenses that gave a fearsome red-eyed visage in the hunt. The top and back of the helmet were covered in two rows of spikes that descended the back of his neck, and once the helmet connected to the rest of the armor, the spikes continued down the back plating as well. Two large black horns emerged from the side of the helmet and shot straight upwards, curving slightly forward and ending in a fine tip- These horns, Rhïn thought, were reminiscent of the Barioth armor helm's he had seen some hunters craft before.

There were a few items and attachments that Rhïn chose to leave off in favor of quick movements- a large black cloak made of the same Black Hide as his boots and under garments, which was flame resistant and had saved his hide more than once. His belt, which contained many hunting knives, throwing knives, powerful healing ingredients and other concoctions that normal hunters would probably kill for. Despite leaving a few important items, Rhïn still had many tricks up his sleeve when it came to the armor- a part of the forearms gauntlet that could slide off and double as a close-up combat knives, and the gauntlets Rhïn wore had retractable spikes in the knuckles that made any direct blow even more dangerous. With his armor ready, Rhïn rushed up a large boulder beside the path to gain a vantage point over his incoming targets- four hunters. They carried themselves with an air of confidence, despite their apparent fear of their surroundings. The hunters all wore High Rank armor from what Rhïn could see and each were equipped with High Rank Gore Magala Greatswords, Düster...something, which he knew all had the innate ability to strike with the Dragon Element, something Rhïn was especially weary of. The hunters walked forward in a square formation. The first two wore High Rank Rath Armor, one wore normal Rath, the second Azure Rath. The two that followed differed from their partners: The third hunter wore Black Tigrex armor and the final hunter strode down the path with obsidian Brachydios armor.

Rather than dropping down now in front of them in the hopes of scaring them off or give them a chance to prepare, he waited until they passed by the boulder before dropping down among them. As he landed he heard them all utter several curses in fright. While they did so Rhïn activated an ability he had learned many years ago that he had recently seen humans learn to do, they called it Wolf's Maw. Blue flames erupted and consumed Rhïn's body, giving his eyes a red haze and leaving his body as nothing more than a terrifying black silhouette through the Blue flames that now danced all over his upper-body.

From low, Rhïn swung a clenched fist upwards with deadly force and caught the Brachydios hunter on his chin, knocking him off his feet and sending him through the air before he landed on the ground awkwardly on his shoulders, his neck bent forward. As soon as he had swung upwards, Rhïn returned to his haunches and kicked the feet of the Azure Rath hunter out from under him, and as soon as his back hit the ground, Rhïn grabbed his helmet and drove his right knee into his face plate, resulting in a crack of azure scales and a denting of the metallic face grate. The hunter stayed still.

The Black Tigrex armored hunter dove at Rhïn from behind, driving his spiked shoulder into Rhïn's lower back, driving him away from the body of his fallen Azure clad hunter. Thinking quickly, Rhïn rolled over, grabbed the left arm of the Tigrex hunter, and, wrapping his legs around the neck of the hunter- Rhïn viciously twisted his body, snapping the arm out of its socket. The hunter's scream stopped the Rathalos clad hunter from leaping into their scrap on the ground. His hesitation gave Rhïn the chance to get to his feet, as he did so, out of the corner of his eye he saw the Brachydios hunter stand as well and draw his sword. They both charged at Rhïn, weapons drawn, blades dragging along the ground beside them, ready to swing upwards and cleave Rhïn in twain. The Rathalos hunter reached Rhïn first, being closest, and brought his great sword up in a deadly arc, but as he did so Rhïn spun towards the hunter, evading the blade ever so slightly. Rather than dealing with the Rath hunter he began to charge towards the Brachydios hunter. Rhïn's speedy approach threw off the timing of the Brachydios hunter swing and Rhïn took advantage of this, jumping up and allowing his momentum to carry him forward- while in the air, Rhïn leaned back and kicked both his feet into the pointed chest plate of the obsidian hunter. A sickening thud filled the air as the breastplate caved in, and Rhïn heard several ribs crack as the hunter flew straight to the ground after the force of the impact.

As the hunter struck the ground, he screamed in pain as the hard impact made his body take the brunt of the fall, adding to the pain of the already broken ribs. While the hunters sword flew past him and clattered to the ground behind him Rhïn realized he felt immensely energized- something powerful stirred within him and he felt he had those 'butterflies in his stomach' that so many hunters got- but this wasn't nervousness, it was simply a sensation building in his gut that he needed to let out somehow.

As he felt this, he heard light footsteps behind him and Rhïn turned to face the Azure Rathalos hunter bringing his greatsword down in a powerful arc towards Rhïn. The weapon seemed to have a hazy red aura around the weapon, and Rhïn noticed the blood dripping out the face plate of the hunter's helm from where he had struck him earlier. Rhïn dropped to one knee and crossed both his arms above his head to stop the sword, but a split second before he thought the impact would crush him he felt the sensation in his stomach twitch one more time before it shot up into his head, causing him to gasp in pain. A sharp, painful sensation surged through Rhïn's body as a column of blue fire, just like the flames covering his body poured forth from his chest in a beam that struck the Azure Rath hunter square in the gut, sending him and his weapon flying away.

Rhïn remained bent on one knee as the pain and the column of fire shooting out of him subsided, leaving his vision hazy and his stomach unsettled. Eventually, his head didn't feel so light and as he took in what lay before him he was shocked: the body of the Azure Rath hunter lay charred on the ground. The front of his armor and flesh was completely burned away, leaving nothing but blackened flesh and tendrils of smoke that rose from the motionless body. The Rathalos Hunter was beginning to help his Brute Tigrex hunting partner to his feet and they were making a wide berth around Rhïn to get to their fallen Brachydios hunting partner. Rhïn would let the remaining three live, his job as the 'Demon who guarded Serpent's Mount' was done, for now- the hunters always returned.

As he passed the charred remains of the Azure Rathalos hunter Rhïn wondered ' _what fire, blue or otherwise, can burn through a Rathalos' hide? The Rath's breathe fire themselves!'_

Even as he had these thoughts he felt relief- he had again remain undiscovered, and his entire life could once again be obscured by the heavenly mists until some other bold hunter decided to intrude upon his Fathers lands, seeking glory, but only finding death. He rounded the boulder he entered the mountain path from and walked up a small path to where his Halk's and the rest of his belongings remained. He slung his hunters pack over his shoulder, said goodbye to his Horuku hunting partners for now and continued by himself around the base of the mountain until he reached the cave-like entrance to the mountain. As he delved further into it, the cave expanded into a small cavern, before filling out completely and opening to the _Hollow Mountain_. Light streamed in through a large opening in the top of the mountain, which Rhïn had been told was there because this mountain used to be a volcano before his father had drained it of its magma.

"Father, I'm home!" Rhïn shouted into the enormous cavern- his voice echoing back to him before silence returned to the mountain. After a moment, a soft rumbling could be felt from far beneath the earth that caused the pebbles at Rhïn's feet to rock back and forth. The rumbling grew until it felt as though the mountain itself would collapse on top of Rhïn, but he knew it wouldn't and so he continued forward as though the ground beneath him wasn't even shaking until he stood on the edge of a precipice that overlooked the inside of the mountain and stood there, waiting. A moment later, a large, spiked and tremendously girthy serpentine body emerged from the foundations of the mountain, great red glowing eyes gazed down at the lone hunter, donning armor with spikes that mimicked its own. As Dalamadur, the largest of Elder Dragons gazed down at him, Rhïn held its gaze and said "Morning...Father"

 **AUTHORS NOTES: PLEEEEEASE REVIEEEEEEEEW!**

 ** _Whoop Whoop!_** _The first real chapter is out baby! So, pumped, AND I am so blown away by the 130+ VIEWS this story has received. I genuinely thought- maybe 10? 12? But not 130! So, a biiiiig thank you to everyone._

 _So, a few questions that I've been asked regarding this story:_

 _Q1) Metbert2 asks: WILL I BE USING ONLY MAIN SERIES ELDER DRAGONS OR ALSO SPIN OFF SERIES?_

 _ANSWER: I will be using 30 Elder Dragons. All of them will be from the First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, and Frontier Generation of games. So, the Elder Dragons from MH Online, MH Explore and MH Stories won't be in the story, sorry to disappoint._

 _HOWEVER, there will be a few main series Elder Dragons that I felt simply wouldn't be motivated to participate, like Kulve Taroth and Jhen Mohran that are just so reclusive (Underground Golden Caves and the middle of the damn Great Desert)_

 _Q2) Killroy122496 asks: WILL I ALLOW FOR SOME OC CHARACTER REQUESTS?_

 _ANSWER: Yessssss! I thought that was a great idea Killroy, and I would love to hear from you if you would like a certain Elder Dragon's child's character to be named after you, or after your in-game character or your dog or whatever. There may be a few characters that I already have character intentional names for, but who knows- if yours is better than mine then who am I to deny?_

 _Okay, to make sure that everyone is happy, I will allow for fiteen names- one OC per user._

 _So, go get creative! Also, if you give me more than one entry, then I get to choose okay? MWAHAHA!_

 _I will post the list of the 30 Elder Dragons whose children will be in the tournament and prevalent in the story (please note, I have already laid out an OCD-driven, super neat blueprint of the whole tournament and story arc, so I may choose your character's name, but their fate is already determined- MWAHAHA AGAIN!)_

 _Fatalis_

 _Crimson Fatalis_

 _Kirin (Oroshi Kirin in my story is simply the first Kirin, that is now a grandpa Kirin)_

 _Lao-Shan Lung (Ashen Lao is the same as Oroshi)_

 _Chameleos_

 _Kushala Daora_

 _Lunastra_

 _Teostra_

 _White Fatalis_

 _Yama Kurai (Not Yama Tsukami, as Kurai is the ancestral Tsukami, according to the Frontier Lore)_

 _Alatreon_

 _Amatsamagatsuchi (Amatsu- cuz that is just a mouthful)_

 _Ceadeus_

 _Dire Miralis_

 _Valstrax_

 _Dah'ren Mohran (He IS like Jhen, but he's faster and more aggressive- so he's competing)_

 _Dara Amadyura (DALAMADUUUUUR)_

 _Gogmazios_

 _Shagaru Magala_

 _Nergigante_

 _Vaal Hazak_

 _Zorah Magdaros_

 _Disufiroa_

 _Guanzorumu_

 _Harudomerugu_

 _Rukodiora_

 _Rebidiora_

 _Shantien_

 _Teo Tesukatora_

 _Inagami_

 _Finally, regarding any of the questions related to the Lore of the world- if I know that the answer will be explained or covered later in the story, I won't give you a direct answer since there might be spoilers, but don't fret, all shall be revealed...ooooooooohhhhhhh._

 _If you could please tell me if the dialogue is easy or hard to follow? I tried starting on a new line every time someone new started speaking so I hope that helped- and just let me know anything else that you did/didn't like._

 _I also hope you like my pun-joke just before the fight, hehehe. The Black Hide Cloak that has saved_ _Rhin's HIDE more than once! Oh, such a comedian, I know._

 **Stay Safe and Happy Hunting!**

 **What I'm Reading:** _Monster Hunter Lore Wiki Pages_

 **What I'm Playing:** _Shadow of War – old I know, but I'm still excited to try for the first time_

 **What I'm Listening To:** _Those insane motivational speeches on YouTube that make me wanna bench-press a mountain_


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